An unknown person dressed in police-style tactical gear is suspected of killing a boot camp trainer inside a Texas church Monday morning before an early-morning boot camp class.
The victim, Terri "Missy" Bevers, 45, was scheduled to lead a Camp Gladiator Midlothian boot camp class at 5 a.m. on Monday at the Creekside Church of Christ, according to a media release from the Midlothian Police Department. A member of her class found her in the church, surrounded by "lots of broken glass," according to Midlothian Police Chief Carl Smith. Police and EMS were called to the scene, arriving at approximately 5 a.m. Bevers was pronounced dead. At this time, police are not releasing how Bevers was killed.
Midlothian police collected surveillance video from the church and released it as part of the ongoing investigation. The video shows the suspect wearing what appears to be tactical-style gear with "POLICE" lettering on the front and back of the jacket and wearing a helmet and gloves. Originally, the police referred to the suspect was a man, but in press release released on Tuesday, they noted that the suspect could be a man or a woman. The cameras inside the church are motion activated, and the first video captured of the suspect inside the church was about 3:50 a.m., according to Midlothian Police Captain John Spann. Video of the suspect is below.
At Monday's press conference, Smith called the murder "an unusual occurrence for our community." Police found evidence of forced entry into the building and forced entry into a couple of rooms within the church indicating a possible burglary. Police have yet to determine if anything is missing from the church.
The boot camp class is typically held outdoors, but due to inclement weather, Bevers chose to move the class inside the church.
“NO EXCUSES … You are Gladiators!,” Bevers wrote on a Facebook post Sunday night to notify her Camp Gladiator class that Monday morning's class was on despite the inclement weather.
Bevers arrived at the church around 4:18 a.m., according to Spann. Her vehicle was parked by the front door, presumably to aid in unloading equipment for the class, Spann said. Video shows Bevers walking down the main hallway near where her body was eventually located, but no cameras captured the attack, he said.
Bevers is the mother of three daughters, according to an Us Weekly report.
"My wife was a great woman, a great wife, a great mother, a great friend and she will be missed by many people," Missy's husband, Brandon, told Fox 4 News in a plea for tips in the case.
Camp Gladiator, Austin, Texas, was founded in 2008 by American Gladiator Grand Champion Ally Davidson. The four-week outdoor group fitness program has more than 1,400 locations nationwide.
"The Camp Gladiator community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our trainers, Missy Bevers," Camp Gladiator said in a Facebook post Tuesday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time."
Oak Farms Dairy is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and grand jury indictment of the person responsible for Bevers' death. Anyone with information is asked to contact Midlothian police at (972) 775-3333 or Ellis County Crime Stoppers at (972) 937-7297.